


Velocity Rush

by lori_yuy



Category: Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Driving, Fluff and Crack, M/M, Planet Scar Syndrome | Geostigma, Recovery, Reminiscing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:28:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28687134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lori_yuy/pseuds/lori_yuy
Summary: On the way back from Edge to Healin Lodge, the Turks had a minor argument about who's driving.
Relationships: Elena & Rufus Shinra, Reno & Rude (Compilation of FFVII), Rufus Shinra & The Turks, Rufus Shinra & Tseng, Rufus Shinra/Tseng
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28





	Velocity Rush

They stood drenched in rain, but the magic of the moment was not lost. Pairs of eyes watched in awe as green wisps flowed off from Rufus's body into the ether. A rainbow bridged across Edge as the rain went as suddenly as it came, glossing the city's buildings in a sheen of sunlight. The view was spectacular, as if the sky itself was giving Gaia its blessings. Rufus examined his hand in wonder, slowly unwrapping the soaked bandage. His skin was perfect, with no signs of marring and scarring from Geostigma. It was as if the deadly disease was never a thing. They stayed like this until the sun began to go down the horizon and wind picked up, reminding them that being outside in soaking wet clothes was not a good idea.

Tseng and Elena had flown in, but nevermind that Reno and Rude had wrecked the bird while fighting the Remnants earlier and they weren't about to risk the only other helicopter they have. Reno and Rude had a vehicle parked at the center of town and it was pure luck that it didn't become casualty from the activities of the Remnants and Bahamut Sin. The car was barely big enough to fit all of them but they're used to being squeezed in nowadays with resources still lacking. Ideally Elena would sit in the middle back seat since she's small, but she insisted on Rufus having that seat. Her sense of duty was burned into her soul and she felt it was inappropriate if she allowed the President to sit in an unprotected seat. Rufus shrugged and buckled himself in. The rest of the decision making was left to them - the four Turks looked at each other inquisitively.

"So.....who's driving?" Reno started. Healin Lodge wasn't that far away, but it was still a good two hour long trip and the road was bumpy and a pain to get through in the dark.

Rude pushed up his sunglasses. "I had a road sign fall on my head."

Reno snickered and countered. "I flew halfway across the street when that silver-haired bastard punched me. Also we just fought Bahamut Sin bare-handed."

"and we just took down the highway while helping Cloud and walked away from yet another helicopter crash." Rude added.

They both looked towards Elena and she stared back with a "why me?" look. It wasn't that she couldn't drive, but she didn't like to drive.

"I'll drive." Tseng interjected in between the strange tension that had built up between Elena and her fellow Turks.

She turned to Tseng and looked at her leader with concern. He was more badly injured than she was and in all honesty, she should have offered to drive in this situation. "Are you sure Sir?" Come to think of it, she's never ridden in a car with Tseng before and the prospect was making her heart race. To the side, Reno and Rude were passing furtive glances at each other.

"Problem?" Tseng asked as a small smirk graced his features. The pair of Turks went stiff and nudged each other awkwardly. Elena watched with confusion.

"If not, we're going." Tseng said with a tone of finality.

Elena was really grateful that she gets a break and wanted to sit by Rufus so she put herself next to the President. He smiled at her handsomely and put an arm around her shoulder, warmly welcoming her back. Outside the car, Reno and Rude were still taking their sweet time. Tseng sighed as he stepped into the driver's seat. The pair of Turks outside suddenly went into a battle of rock, paper, scissors and Elena had NO IDEA what they were doing. Finally after several rounds, Reno lost to Rude. He grumbled as he climbed into the passenger's seat next to Tseng as Rude took to the other side of Rufus.

"Please be gentle chief." Reno sounded so tired and defeated. Tseng started the car and took them on a slow roll out of town, then....

As soon as they got out of town, the car sped up, sped up some more, and then more. Elena's eyes bugged out as Tseng pushed the vehicle to its max speed. It was a truck for God's sake, not a sports car! They were racing through unpaved road at high speeds and Tseng somehow managed to keep the wheels in control and keep them on the road without flipping the car over any time they hit a particularly bumpy patch. Reno was whining after a few minutes and Rude had curled up like a roly-poly that had been poked in his seat. Elena felt like her blood pressure was shooting through the roof as each turn on the road caused the vehicle to swerve but they always landed back on where they should be on the bumpy roadway. She took some deep breaths. Okay maybe Reno and Rude had something to fear when Tseng said he's driving. One could NOT tell that Tseng was a crazy driver because he usually flew helicopters, which naturally went at higher speeds, but it was different once he was behind the wheel of a car. Is it just her or were they going as fast as a helicopter would be?

About two-thirds of the way to Healin Lodge, Reno opened the passenger side window and puked out of it. His face was greenish pale and frankly he looked awful. Sitting in the front seat watching his life potentially passing by simply was not fun. Even though they were Turks and danger is in their blood, they were usually on the OTHER side of danger, dishing it out rather than taking it. Rude was actually impressed that Reno kept it in for so long while getting the front seat treatment to Tseng's driving.

Tseng managed to keep the vehicle going with one hand while giving Reno a back rub to calm his stomach. "You'll be fine. Just don't look."

Reno shot Tseng the most withering expression that Elena's ever seen on Reno's face. "Fine I'll just fall asleep and blissfully not know when I die."

"I said, you'll be f-...SHIT!" Tseng swerved the car hard and several of them screamed as a monster came into view and they barely managed to avoid ramming into it. The car flew on its side for a second before Tseng righted it and pushed them back on the road. "Sorry. I should have seen that one, but it's too dark."

"Keep going, we're almost there." Rufus's calm voice suddenly sounded. Elena realized something then. Through this whole ordeal, Rufus had kept his calm - in fact, he seemed entirely unfazed by Tseng's driving while she was hyperventilating and ready to pray to whichever God was out there to spare her life for a day more. She's pretty sure Reno's had enough and Rude had been more quiet than usual while still curled up in his seat. Rufus however, was looking out the front of the window from his center backseat as if nothing was wrong and this was all normal. Elena can't even fathom what this meant.

They made it back to Healin Lodge in an hour and ten minutes, an entire hour less than expected. By the time the car stopped, Reno had puked out of the car a third time. His legs were wobbly as he got out of the vehicle and Rude propped him up. However Rude was also shaking a little and Elena noticed it. She herself was feeling a little queasy by the end but luckily her stomach held up but the ground under her feet felt like it was spinning as she finally stood on solid land once more. Tseng extended a hand out to Rufus and pulled him out of the vehicle before locking the doors and led the President back to his cabin to retire for the night.

After recovering for a few minutes, Elena spoke up. "So....why isn't Rufus feeling sick while we're here dying?"

Reno was still retching a little and looked at her with tired eyes. "The President's also crazy." Rude shook his head a little. "If you want to know the real reason....Tseng used to sneak Rufus out on drives when he was growing up."

~...~

"Maybe you could have gone a little slower?" Rufus drawled as he sipped on a glass of wine.

"It was getting dark and it's dangerous to stay on the road late."

"You and your logic." Rufus snickered before putting his wine glass down. "Though ... it reminded me of the first time I asked you to sneak me out of Shinra Tower...I was as sick as Reno was."

"My apologies for that time as well." Tseng replied as he shrugged off his suit jacket. He frowned at Rufus who was still in his wet attire. "Sir, you should change out of that. Should I bring you a change of clothes?"

"Please. Haha....and I asked you then to take me somewhere outside, anywhere away from Shinra Tower and there I was, 17 years old and entirely not ready for your insane driving skills. I remember. You zoomed us out on the highway at 3 AM. All of Midgar passed my vision like I was in a dream state and I thought I made the worst mistake of my life having you be my driver. I really thought I was going to die that night Tseng."

Tseng smiled as he turned and started peeling layers of wet shirts off of Rufus with practiced ease. "And then you told me you'll never ride with me ever again."

"And yet here we are." Rufus held up his glass to Tseng's lips with a smile. "Cheers to getting us back here... and you coming back in one piece."

Tseng took a sip from the glass. "Cheers to your recovery."

**Author's Note:**

> I got the bit about Tseng's driving from watching Before Crisis videos where he was keeping up with a freaking helicopter on the highway...


End file.
